Mechanical device



A. A. MORTON MECHANICAL DEVICE Aug. 21, 1928.

Filed Aug. 31, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet nwuku flier/ 7% /70/"/Z/2 Aug. 21, 1928.

A. A. MORTON MECHANICAL DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Aug. 21, 1928.

A. A. MORTON MECHANICAL DEVICE Filed Aug. 31, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 (Tummzu Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES ALBERT A. MORTON, OF BAKER, OREGON.

MECHANICAL DEVICE.

Application filed August 31, 1925. Serial No; 53,454.

This invention relates to a mechanical device having a multitude of applications and has as one of its objects to provide a method of raising or lowering, and supporting, loads at a variable distance from the fulcrum of a lever without effecting the equilibrium of the lever.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device that may be used 'as a platform to support workmen at different elevations, or that may support stationary or moving loads at varying distances from the fulcrum of the device without changing the power required to maintain the levers in equilibrium.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device utilizing the lever principle in the form of parallel bars, and

establishing means whereby a load may be supported at a varying distance from the bars by communicating its weight from the dis tance directly to the bars, and thus eliminating the effect of a lever extended to the load.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical device that may be utilized for heavy or light work, that may have its strength increased by the addition of extra parallel bars without efi'ecting its ease of operation, and which is simple'to construct.

With these and other objects in view reference is now had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device showing one ofits applications;

Fig. 2 is a view of the form shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows in diagrammatic form its application in bridge construction;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the device shown in the diagram in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a diagram of a modified form of the device showing the platform dropped below the parallel bars;

Fig. 6 is a diagram showing another modification where two of the devices are mounted on a single support; and 1 Fig. 7 is a diagram of another modification where the platform is raised above the lower bar of the parallel bars.

This invention utilizes and includes a principle or method of moving or supporting a load at a distance by levers, with the fulcrums placed where best adapted for the work, and arrange to communicate the load to a definite place on the levers so that the power required to support the load is constant regardless of the position of the load with respect to the fulcrum of the levers.

The principle is applied through the medium of a mechanical device that may be in the general form and design shown in the accompanying drawings, although it will be obvious from the description that other forms of the device embodying the principle may be required for various purposes and such forms as come within the scope of the claims will be included in the invention.

Having reference to the drawings like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views and the numeral 1 refers to the mechanical device which consists of a base 2 to which is secured a substantially braced tower 3, the tower and base forming a support for the device, cross members 4 rigidly attached to the tower to support journals 5 that in turn mount the axles 6 of parallel bars 7 acting as levers.

The base is of sufficient size to provide stability to the device and may also be of a length to carry a donkey engine 8, or other prime mover, that may be used to maintain the bars in a state of equilibrium, equilibrium in this case being used as meaning to counteract the effect of-a load concentrated at one end of the bars by a counterweight (as shown in Fig. 6) or prime mover 8 attached to the other end of the bars.

The parallel bars 7 may consist of two or more levers, the axles 6 thereof actingas the fulcrum, and have their ends pivotally connected by vertically positioned tie pieces 9 and 10 respectively, the tie piece 9 being of a length to pivotally receive the ends of the bars, while the tie piece 10 has a vertically extending post 11 that projects upward from the piece proper to provide a post from which guys 12 are extended to support the outer end of a platform 13 that projects outward from the tie piece.

The platform may be rigidly or adjustably attached to the tie piece 10 by a foot piece 14, and when adjustable the tie piece may be brought below the pivotal point 15 so that the platform may be attached either above the pivotal point, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, or below the pivotal point as shown in Fig. 5.

The platform may be secured to the tie piece in any suitable manner and may be provided with a runway 16 on which may be placed tracks 17 over which the load may be rolled by a car 18 or other means, from one end of the work to the other as in the construction of a wall 19. The tracks may also be omitted. and the platform used as a staging for workmen, and in other ways to be described.

The device may consist of a single pair of parallel bars, as shown in Fig. 5. or of three bars, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, and the device may include a pair of parallel bars arranged for independent movement on either side of a single tower where a short platform 20 may he utilized to elevate the load to the longer platform, when used as a staging as in the construction of a brick wall where it is necessary to raise the bricks and mortar for the uie of workmen, this design being shown in 1 1g. 6, or two of the units may be placed at a. desired distance apart to furnish a temporary bridge span (not shown), or the two units may be set side by side and joined together with tie rods 21, as shown inFig. *1, to be operated conjointly with a second pair for use where it is desired to con truct a span 22 before it is lowered into place to complete the structure 23, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the latter case rollers .Z-t may be placed on the runway and the span erected on these so that the longitudinal movement of the platform when it is lowered will not affect the position of the span with respect to the structure. n

In use the platform may extend away from the bars, as shown in Fig. G. or it may be supported centrally and extend in both directions, as shown in Fig. 5. or it may be extended to the rear of the bars, as shown in Fig. 7,the principle in each position being identical. I

In either case the platform is supported by one of the tie pieces, to which it is secured by the foot piece 14, and the outer end is supported when necessary by the guys 12 extending from the outer end to the post 11.

By this means the weight of a load is communicated to the parallel bars and its etfect on the equilibrium of the bars will be identical whether the load is at the position shown by the IV enclosed in dotted lines, or by the IV enclosed by solid lines, or intermediate points.

\Vith the platform in position it may be made use of as above described, or in other ways, and the parallel bars may be rocked by the prime mover (or the old principle of the worm and gear, not shown), and the platform may be loaded from an approach 25, and the load then raised to the desired lmight.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a mechanical device, a support, par allel bars pivotally mounted in said support, vertically positioned tie pieces pivotally attached to said bars, one. of said tic pieces having a vertically extending post, and an ex tended plat-form secured to one of said tie pieces and having its outer end supported from said post.

Q. In a mechanical device, a support, parallel bars pivotally i'muntzed in said support, "ertically positioned tie pieces pivotally attached to said bars, and a platform provided with. a, runway and extended from and rigidly attached to one of said tie pieces.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ALBERT a. MORT N. 

